Meter pedestal



vNov. 16, 1948. R. J. TEETSELL METER PEDESTAL Filed March 10, 1 944 FIG.3

I N VEN TOR R OY J. TEETSELL BY WI'M M ATTORNEY Pate'n ted Nov. 1 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,7 a 2,453,734

METER PEDESTAL Roy J. Teetsell, Red Bank, N. J. Application March-l0, 1944, Serial N0. 525,961 3 Claims. (Cl. 175-183) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to. electrical metering devices, and more particularly to mounts to be used in connection with testing and calibrating meters of the panel type.

In calibrating electrical meters, it is important that they be calibrated in the position in which they will be used. The usual steps taken in calibrating a meter are to place a meter on a table or clamp it in a jig or viseyrunning leads to a meter standard unit and making a direct comparison between the two. This is a process which takes some time in connecting leads to the meter, and there exists the danger of coming in contact with the supply leads if high potentials are being used. i

It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide a device which allows for calibration of an electrical meter at any angle from horizontal to vertical, said device effecting safety by eliminating the possibility of accidental contact with electrical leads.

It is another object to provide a meter mounting which will accommodate various sized panel type meters with various sized terminals, and which provides rapid and positive mechanical and electrical connections and permits the operator to disassemble the meters moving parts and make repairs on same.

A feature of this invention is that it permits the calibration of the meter assembled and in operative position on a standard steel panel.

The invention consists of an insulated inclosure or box having slots in which the meter terminals are inserted. Vise-like contacts within the inclosure make mechanical and electrical contact with the meter terminals and allow for electrical tests and calibration without the usual separate operations of removing the meter from a jig or vise and making separate connections.

The invention will be better understoodby reference to the attached drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the meter pedestal assembly with a meter inserted; K

Figure 2 is a front view of the panel of the pedestal of Figure 1, partially broken away to show part of the interior construction of the device;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a detail of the meter contacts characteristic of this invention, showing the parts as the meter is being put into place.

Reference is now made to the meter pedestal amended Apriliifl, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) assembly as shown in Figure 1. A hollow insulated box designated generally by reference numeral 23 is pivotally mounted on threaded rods 5| which are secured to the lateral walls of box 23 and pass through brackets 53 which are in turn mounted upon a base 55. The latter is provided with small compartments for holding small meter parts used for repairing meters. Wing nuts 51 are threaded on rods or shafts 5| and whentightened, clamp the box in any position from vertical to horizontal. Any panel type meter 2| is inserted and removed by pressing on knob 31. Electrical leads 43 enter the insulated box in the back side and are connected to a meter standard unit or other electrical circuit at their other extremity.

For a better understanding of the apparatus in volved, reference is had to Figure 2. The front of box 23 is provided with an insulating panel such as bakelite in which are cut slots 25 to receive the terminals of various sized meters. In the preferred embodiment, two external leads 43 are connected respectively to the two metal con:

tacts 2'! and, to the two stationary metallic knife edges 3|. The fiat meter contacts 21 are mounted, by means of rivets or. any other suitable means, upon a bakelite bar 29 which is capable of vertical movement, said vertical movement being obtained through theagency of rod 33 and knob 37 in the embodiment described herein. A

helical spring 35, under tension, is coiled around the rod 33, its upper end being secured to the box 23. and its lower end to said rod. Said spring 35 normally holds the knob and rod'in its uppermost position so that the knife edges 3| are in contact with the flat contacts 21, and the knob 31 must be forced down inorder to insert the meter. When a meter 2| is inserted and pressure released. from the knob, the meter terminals are securely clamped between the metal contacts 21 and knifeedges 3|. To provide mechanical rigidity and proper alignment for restricting bar 29 and rod 33 to vertical movement, aligning rods can be t placed through vertical holes drilled in insulating member 29. These aligning rods, notshown in the drawing for simplicity, can be mounted in fixed position relative to the front panel of the v box.

Figure 3 is a sectional view, taken in a vertical plane, showing further detail of the parts described in connection with Figure 2. Numeral 4| indicates one terminal of the meter 2| to be tested or calibrated. This view shows said meter terminal in position so as to be clamped between one of the flat contacts 21 and one of the knife 55 edges 3|, the latter two elements being electriielationshi p to the meter .box 2 3" b-y lari insulating member 415 whichis rigidly secured :to. saidbox:

23. The knife edge 3| is secured to the member 45, which may be Bakelite or the like, by rivets or in any other suitable manner.

From the above description it is apparent that to calibrate a, meter, it is merely necessary to connect the electrical leads to a meter standard Although I have shown and described certain specific embodiments covered in the appended claims.

I claim:

Within said box and spring means urging the flat contacts toward the knifie-edge contacts respectively, two electrical leads extending from outside the box respectively to each pair of opposing ,contacts, the flat con- .of various spacings may be mechanicallyqand electrically gripped by said contacts.

each other to bite on said terminals mechanically and bination, a rectangular base having upper surface partitions projecting openly to facilitate the testing, brackets erected on said base from the said upper face and having holes transversely contact'means. including'a knifesedge element and fiat plate element arranged to bite on each of panel, and handle means connected with means for-operating it from a point external to the box,

with regard to each other, and leads to provide electrical connection to said elements.

ROY J. TEETSELL.

'ClITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNI'EED -'S'IATES PATENTS- Nuni-ber Name Date 220,499 Seymour et-al Oct. 14, 1879* 1,357,926 Bald-win Nov. 2, 1920 1,387,814 Ten Bosch Aug. 16, 1921 1,630,592 'Weston May 31, 1927 1,660,807 Norgren Feb. 28, 1928 1,680,849 Blakeslee Aug. 14, 1928 1,763,217 Buys June 10, 1930 1,905,452 Eaton Apr. 25, 1933 2,185,562 Ni'elsen et al. Jan. 2, 1940 2,208,251 Evans July 16, 1940 r 2,224,958 Faber Dec. 17, 1940 2,241,181 Bushnell 1 May 6, 1941 

